Trobar & Joglar

The art of troubadours according to the jugglers / Alla francesca as a quatuor, voices and instruments

The art of the first poets of courtly songs –11th-13th centuries, in Occitan language– served by the ‘jugglers’ of the time: performers, singers, instrumentalists, improvisers... In stage version with lights, the lyrical and musical art of jugglers and performers meets the current circus art...

Condeita sui… / Chanson de malmariée anonymeEnsemble Alla francescaBrigitte Lesne / voice, rote (psaltery-harp), codirectionPierre Hamon / recorders, flutes, frestel (Pan pipes), bagpipes, codirectionVivabiancaluna Biffi / voice, fiddleCarlo Rizzo / percussion& Jive Faury / jongleries chorégraphiques, pour la version avec jongleur et sur des lumières de Lionel VidalAs early as the second half of the 11th century, the troubadours composed the first poetry ever transmitted in popular language, using the vernacular, spoken and understood of all, instead of Latin. This radical innovation, together with the refined and codified use of the art of fin’amor - courtly love in Occitan language - was to flourish all through the history of literature up to the present French popular song tradition.The imaginary figure of singer-songwriter then splits into two new characters: the troubadour seeking the words and sounds (trobar), and the performer, a master of the art of joglar –later to be called minstrel– who could occasionally write poetry and compose by himself...Along with the art of poetry transmitted and enhanced by singing and declamation, we also propose to revive the performance of musical instruments, playing improvisations on melodies and known music as there is no written source of these plays.During this concert, the songs –canso, tenson, descort, sextine...– signed by Bernart de Ventadorn, Na Castelloza, Jaufré Rudel, Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, Comtesse de Die, Arnaut Daniel or Guilhem Augier Novella, will alternate with some instrumentals –Aquitanians, anonymous, improvised, reinvented...